Organics Supervisor

City of New York•Queens, NY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City. The Bureau of Water Supply, Drinking Water Operations, Water Quality, Distribution Water Quality, is seeking to hire a City Research Scientist II to serve as the Organics Supervisor at the Distribution Laboratory who will follow NYS approved drinking water testing methods in compliance with all applicable environmental, health and safety regulations and DEP’s policies and procedures. Working under the direction of the Deputy Chief of Laboratory Operations, with latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, this position will supervise and provide technical and administrative oversight to the daily operation of the organics section of Distribution Laboratory for the analyses of trace organic contaminants in drinking water using complex gas chromatographic methods following NYS approved testing methods, including developing goals, methods, and research projects for the section; managing protocols and standard operating procedures; and ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements, and professional accrediting organizations' recommendations and guidelines.

Requirements

A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
Education and/or experience which is equivalent to '1' or '2' above.
All candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in '2' above.
Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in '1' and '2' above.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Adobe, Access and PowerPoint
Knowledge of Laboratory information management systems such as StarLIMS
Strong written and communication skills

Responsibilities

Managing existing protocols and standard operating procedures for the section, maintaining Quality Assurance (QA)/ Quality Control (QC) objectives and ensuring compliance with all environmental health and safety laws, rules and regulations.
Developing goals and coordinating research objectives for the section according to the mission of the Distribution Laboratory and the Division.
Implementing methods for organic analysis of drinking water samples. Which includes but is not limited to selecting reagents, preparing specifications for equipment to be purchased, preparing method Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and obtaining initial QC objectives.
Directing quality control for the section: reviewing QC data generated by analysts; monitoring QC charts and tables for accuracy; supervising entry of data into QC charts and tables; and devising protocols for the preparation of calibration standards and QC solutions.
Conducting assigned research and investigations, and collaborating with City, State and federal officials on related matters; carrying out activities to develop effective coordination between the research efforts of the agency and outside collaborators.
Providing technical direction to the section for method evaluation, verification, and accuracy of results.
Identifying errors or potential problems that could result in errors; and taking corrective actions; and evaluating the corrective actions taken, to prevent recurrence.
Assisting with the development and implementation of an automated Laboratory Information System (STARLiMS) for data record keeping and report generation to meet the needs for the section including appropriate QC validation rules and electronic transfer of data.
Reviews data and generates reports.
Handling all personnel issues including monitoring performance of staff, hiring, training and disciplinary actions.
Instructing and assigning work to and evaluating performance of subordinate staff.
Determining contract requirements and laboratory budget to ensure adequate inventories of equipment and supplies.
Operating and maintaining analytical instruments in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, diagnosing instrument problems and performing routine maintenance of analytical instrumentation making minor repairs, adjustments and calibrations as needed.